


A Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven

by lykxxn



Category: No Fandom
Genre: Father-Daughter Relationship, Flashbacks, Foster Care, Gen, Past Child Abuse, all these characters started off as Musketeers OCs, so don't be surprised if they bear resemblance to any other characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-06
Updated: 2015-04-06
Packaged: 2018-03-21 14:50:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3696353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lykxxn/pseuds/lykxxn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i> It's almost as if somebody is turning on a video in her mind, and it's impossible to turn off. There is an ecstasy of fumbling, a furious face, and then yelling. "Now do you see? Do you see why I go away? I cannot deal with a monster in my house!" </i>
</p><p>Sometimes it's Aliane who needs Clement on nights like this.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven

The room is dark apart from a sole candle on the desk, and Aliane sits up in the bed, careful not to wake Rosemarie. At twelve, she is one of the most beautiful girls Aliane has ever known, and her auburn hair is sprawled out across the pillow. Gently Aliane lifts the covers away and swings her legs over the side of the bed. The wooden floor is cold against her cold feet, but she pads towards the window, almost holding her breath for fear of waking Rosemarie, who doesn't sleep well even in the best of circumstances.

Aliane leans against the windowsill and brushes one of the dark curtains to the side, glancing out into the black street before her. There is a lone street lamp washing the pavement in a yellowish orange, and she watches it slowly flicker as if someone is repeatedly turning it on and off.

It's almost as if somebody is turning on a video in her mind, and it's impossible to turn off. There is an ecstasy of fumbling, a furious face, and then yelling. "Now do you see? Do you see why I go away? I cannot deal with a monster in my house!" Mother is, of course, dealing with her latest problem. Aliane is used to being alone. Aliane is used to being in the wrong. Aliane is used to being the monster.

Except now she has failed to keep it inside, and it has disastrous results. "I didn't mean to," she murmurs shakily. "He touched me and you said it's wrong for people to touch me."

Mother snarls. "I try my hardest to keep you safe, and this is how you repay me, you filthy beast! How dare you turn my words against me!"

And then Aliane squeezes her eyes shut, preparing herself for the inevitable blow. She is unsure of how long she is stood there waiting, but eventually she musters up the courage to open her eyes.

She is not with Mother. In fact, Mother is nowhere to be seen. Aliane rests her head against the wall, taking in all of the room before she dares to stop rocking on the balls of her feet.

"Anne?" comes the voice of Clement, foster parent and partly her social worker. "Anne, are you with us?" 

Aliane barely has time to nod before a choked sob escapes her lips. Nightmares are a common occurrence, but _this_ ... not this. "Why'd she do it?" she croaks as Clement wraps a blanket around her shoulders. 

"I have a feeling that your mother wasn't very well," says Clement softly. Aliane clutches onto him, much to his surprise. "I think she was very afraid of you being hurt, and ended up hurting you trying to protect you. She called you _that word_ because she knew she had done something wrong and didn't know how to fix it." 

Clement realises that he is guiding the girl to his bedroom, but it doesn't matter - with her being so unsettled, it is unlikely she will sleep very well, and better to wake him due to nightmares or fears than to wake Rosemarie. "But that is no excuse for neglecting you and leaving you alone, understand? It was wrong of her to do all those things to you." 

He pulls back the covers and pats the mattress gently. "But ... I thought you said I was much too old ..." Aliane trails off tiredly, no doubt drained from the flashback. 

"I think we can find an exception to the rule tonight," says Clement softly, and the girl climbs into the bed. Gently he tucks her in and climbs in the other side. 

He watches her as she slowly falls to sleep and, although he knows that this won't be the first time he is woken throughout the night, he's glad that his three charges are safe and sound for the time being.

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, if you read my tag that these characters are basically Musketeers OCs, then you can probably have a go at guessing who is whose child.
> 
> To fit with the theme of this being original fiction, I made it Aliane's mother who was abusive and neglectful, rather than her adoptive mother.


End file.
